A policeman guarding a polio vaccination team was gunned down on Tuesday by unknown attackers in Balochistan’s Noshki district, according to an official.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries where polio remains endemic, and vaccination teams are frequently targeted by militants waging a campaign against security forces.

Noshki Deputy Commissioner (DC) Amjad Hussain Soomro confirmed the “unfortunate incident” to Dawn.com, in which Waheed Ahmed was gunned down in Noshki’s Killi Muhammad Hassni district.

He said that police have set up checkpoints at various places to search for the attackers, who will be arrested soon.

DC Soomro noted that security of the health department staff working on the anti-polio campaign has been further beefed up.

He added that the anti-polio campaign is continuing even after the terrorist incident and the targets given to the anti-polio teams in Noshki district for this national cause will be completed soon.

Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind confirmed that the martyred was a resident of Jalalabad, Noshki.

“The polio campaign is a national duty, and any attack on it is intolerable,” Rind said in a statement, paying tribute to the slain officer who “sacrificed himself while on duty”.

“This attack is a conspiracy to sabotage the national campaign and spread fear and panic,” Rind added.

President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack in Noshki and offered heartfelt condolences to the family of the bereaved.

He noted that the courage and sacrifice of polio officials “[inspires] us all to save our children from this crippling disease.”

The president reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to fully eradicating polio.

“We have the tools, the will, and the support of our global partners to make this vision a reality,” he said in a statement issued today. “I call on parents to open their doors to vaccinators, ensuring every child receives the life-saving polio drops.

“I urge teachers, religious leaders, and community elders to champion this noble cause, dispelling myths and building trust. I appeal to the media to amplify the truth: the polio vaccine is safe, effective, and our best weapon.”

He reiterated his support for his daughter Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, “whose tireless advocacy and efforts has galvanized our nation in this fight against polio”.

“Today, I also pay tribute to our brave polio workers, who risk their lives to reach every child, often in the face of grave danger.

“We also honour those polio workers and security officials who have made the ultimate sacrifice, losing their lives to cowardly attacks aimed at derailing our efforts to make Pakistan polio-free,” he said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the incident and affirmed that strict action will be taken against militant elements targeting the polio campaign, according to state-run Radio Pakistan.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the incident and said that an attack on the team tasked with securing the safe future of children is intolerable.

Balochistan Health Minister Bakht Muhammad Kakar strongly condemned the incident, describing it as a “cowardly and inhumane act.”

He emphasised that targeting the polio campaign is equivalent to attacking the future of innocent children. While paying tribute to the martyred official, the minister hailed him as a “hero of the nation.”

Kakar warned that any effort to derail the polio campaign would be seen as a direct challenge to the writ of the state, and affirmed that the government will deal with terrorists with an iron fist.

Yesterday, two polio workers were abducted by armed assailants in Tank district while performing their duties in the Dolat Koruna area as part of the ongoing vaccination drive which kicked off on Sunday.

The Pakistan Polio Programme launched the third drive of the year against the crippling disease at the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), Islamabad.

The campaign was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq, alongside members of the Polio Programme’s core group and representatives of partner organisations, the statement added.

Additional reporting by Imran Gabol and Nadir Guramani